The present invention relates to a game machine controller and, more particularly, to a game machine controller for controlling a particular image subject or a game situation displayed on a monitor screen.
Game machines, in which the movement of image displayed on household television set screen or on a large size business purpose screen, have been spread all over the world. In this type of game machines, a game cassette accommodating a recording medium (ROM), in which image data, voice data and operation program data concerning a pertinent game are stored, is loaded in a game machine body, while the game machine body includes a CPU for reading out information from the recording medium of the game cassette and generates image and voice signals concerning the game displayed on a monitor screen. For controlling the progress of game on this type of game machines, the user uses a controller and operates various buttons and keys provided thereon to send out control signal to the game machine.
The controller is used in this way to control the movement and state of the image displayed on the monitor screen. The user holds the controller with both hands and operates various buttons and keys provided on the controller body for the control noted above. The control of the image subject displayed on the screen by the controller is mainly movement of the image subject, and the control is made on two-dimensional movement in the X- and Y-axis directions.
As described above, the prior art game machine controller is for controlling two-dimensional (i.e., X- and Y-axis directions) movement of the image subject displayed on the monitor screen.
Meanwhile, the game contents in the game machines recently have been becoming richer in variety with the provision of various contrivances. If it is made possible to extend two-dimensional movement of the image subject as prescribed on the screen to three-dimensional one including the depth direction or other change control of the game situation, the game contents may be made further richer. Up to date, however, there has not been provided any game machine controller, which permits control of three-dimensional movement of the image subject on the monitor.
In another aspect, the status of the game contents displayed on the monitor screen is usually controlled by using various keys and buttons provided on the controller front. However, with increase of control functions the numbers of keys and buttons that have to be provided are increased. This leads to the problems that the keys and buttons do not only occupy the substantial part of the controller front but also deteriorate the properties of operation control.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show a different example of prior art controller. As shown, it is a general structure that in an opening 140 of a controller body 130 a key member 120 is movably fitted and that in a recess 121 of a substantially semicircular sectional profile provided on a central portion of the rear surface of the key member 120 a top portion 112 of a projection 111 of a hard material such as plastics formed on a base mount 110 is inserted. The key member 120 has key sections 120U, 120D, 120R and 120L in a cross-shaped arrangement. It permits designation of the movement of the image subject in a desire direction with a corresponding operation of key section depression. For example, when the upward key section 120U is depressed, an upward designation is produced from the controller. Likewise, when the downward, rightward and leftward keys 120D, 120R and 120L are depressed, the controller produces designations of the downward, rightward and leftward movements respectively.
FIG. 8 is a sectional views taken along lines A--A in FIG. 7. In the opening 140 of the controller body 130 the key member 120 is disposed, which has a recess 121 and is supported by the neighborhood of the top of the projection 111 of the base mount 110. By depressing the rightward key 120R in the right side of key member 120, contacts 101 and 102 are made, which are supported by an elastic material provided on a printed circuit board 100 and normally held spaced apart by a predetermined distance. In this way, the depression of the rightward key 120R is detected, and a control signal is produced through a circuit structure formed in the printed circuit board 100 to the outside. Likewise, by depressing the leftward key 120L, contacts 103 and 104 of like structure with contacts 101 and 102 are made, whereby a leftward designation signal is produced. Similarly, with the upward and downward keys 120U and 120D, respective direction designation signals are provided upon detection of making of contacts (not shown) as a result of depression of the respective key sections provided on the printed circuit board 100.
Further, it is possible to provide not only the above upward, downward, leftward and rightward designations but also directional designations of mid angle (oblique) directions between adjacent ones of the above directions. To this end, mid angle direction key sections 121 to 124 are provided for designating the mid angle directions between those of the keys 120U and 120R, the keys 120R and 120D, the keys 120D and 120L and the keys 120L and 120U as shown in FIG. 7. The detection of the depression of these key sections is made through detection of simultaneous making of the contacts corresponding to adjacent two of the upward, downward, leftward and rightward key sections. For example, by depressing the key section 121 the upward and rightward keys 120U and 120R are depressed, thus causing the making (closing) of two corresponding pairs of contacts. It is thus possible to detect designation of a mid angle direction from the making of the two sets of contacts.
As described, the prior art game machine controller has a structure that the key member 120 is movably fitted in the opening 140 of the controller body 130 and that in the recess 121 of the substantially semicircular sectional profile provided on the central portion of the rear surface of the key number 120 the top portion of the projection 111 of the hard material such as plastics of the base mount 110 is inserted, and is thus posing various problems.
For example, in the prior art controller the whole key member 120 is supported such that the top portion 112 of the projection 111 of the base mount 110 is engaged in the recess 121 of substantially the semicircular sectional profile formed in a central portion of the rear surface of the key member 120, and predetermined peripheral portions of the key member 120 are depressed for movement thereof about the top portion 112 for producing directional designation signal. This means that key depression forces are applicable to the sole top portion 112 in various directions. Further, if shape deformation of the top portion 112 of the projection 111 occurs during the stage of formation or long use, it is liable that depression of the central portion of the key member 120 results in contractin or closing of all the contacts provided under the key sections 120U, 120R, 120D and 120L and that correct directional designation is no longer possible.
Another serious problem is posed in that while either of the key sections 121 to 124 is depressed for producing a mid angle direction designation, the designation of mid angle direction is detected through detection of the simultaneous making of two adjacent sets of contacts. This means that in many cases only a single set of contacts is made unless an appropriate portion of any mid angle direction key section is strongly depressed. In such cases, there causes the further problem, it is necessary to change the position of the depression or depress the portion with a stronger force, making it possible to prompt operation of the game controller.